The present invention concerns a wound dressing composed of cellulose-containing material and alginate, wherein the alginate is crosslinked through a polycarboxylic acid ester bond to the celluose of the cellulose-containing material. The present invention also concerns a method for preparing a wound dressing wherein alginate is crosslinked to cellulose through a polycarboxylic acid ester bond, involving introducing cellulose-containing material into an aqueous solution (containing water, alginate, a crosslinker, optionally an acid catalyst, and optionally polyethylene glycol to form cellulose-containing material wherein alginate is crosslinked to cellulose through a polycarboxylic acid ester bond), drying, and curing. The present invention additionally concerns a wound dressing wherein the wound dressing is prepared by the above method.
Burn wound dressings should ideally possess certain properties, including absorbency, ease of application and removal, protection against bacteria, fluid balance, and mechanical characteristics that accommodate movement (Quinn, K. J., et al., Biomaterials, 6(6): 369-377 (1985)). Both cotton gauze and alginate dressings have been used extensively in burn wound care and possess some of these properties. Alginate dressings are suitable for partial- and full-thickness wounds with moderate to heavy exudate and usually do not require frequent dressing changes (Le, Y., et al., Indian Journal of Fibre and Textile Research, 22: 337-347 (1997)). Alginate dressings provide gelation and moist healing which promotes re-epithelialization. Gamgee tissue, which bears the name of its developer, is a form of cotton gauze (xe2x80x9ctulle grasxe2x80x9d dressings) utilized in burn wound care and is an economical alternative to synthetic dressings; it is a wide mesh gauze impregnated with medical grade paraffin (Purna, S. K., and M. Babu, Burns, 26: 54-62 (2000)). However, both alginate and cotton-based wound dressings also have limitations that make them less than ideal. Although low cost and possessing good tensile properties, readily textiled cotton gauze provides little or no moist healing because it allows rapid evaporation of moisture which results in a dry desiccated wound bed which is a significant issue with burn wounds since water loss tends to occur at a much greater rate even when covered (Samke, L. O., et al., Bums, 3: 159-165 (1977)). Alginate dressings usually require a secondary dressing for application and have little or no elasticity for stretching freely over joints. Thus, the combination of occlusion and gelation with elasticity and conformability in a single wound dressing would provide advantages over current wound dressings.
A wound dressing containing cellulose-containing material and alginate, wherein the alginate is crosslinked through a polycarboxylic acid ester bond to the celluose of the cellulose-containing material.
A method for preparing a wound dressing wherein alginate is crosslinked to cellulose through a polycarboxylic acid ester bond, involving introducing cellulose-containing material into an aqueous solution (containing water, alginate, a crosslinker, optionally an acid catalyst, and optionally polyethylene glycol to form cellulose-containing material wherein alginate is crosslinked to cellulose through a polycarboxylic acid ester bond), drying, and curing.
A wound dressing wherein the wound dressing is prepared by the above method.